Woe

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?'” Ezekiel 34:2

We all have heard the importance of putting on your own oxygen mask first in order better help others. Its true that we need to take care of ourselves but when we stop the care at that point we’ve made a big mistake.

God doesn’t want us to live in a bubble surrounded by others like us who are all self sufficient. There are times when we all need to lean on each other and we need to focus our energy outwardly.

When you hear “churchy” people say this you either think that they are proselytizing or on some foreign mission trip, but in reality it could be something very simple. I’ve listed a few below. Find sometime today to focus outward with a random act of kindness. It helps to get rid of the “woe” that all those prophets liked to speak of.

1) Deliver some home cooked specialty to someone you know to show how much you appreciate him or her.
2) The next time you go to your favorite coffee shop, get check for the person after you.
3) Volunteer! Whether it’s donating a coat or helping out at the animal shelter, volunteering is a great way to spread kindness while helping in your community.
4) Hold the door for someone when exiting or entering a building. It’s so simple and can be easily overlooked as we rush around our daily lives.
5) Leave some notes of inspiration somewhere for a stranger to read. Apparently, “Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty” was found written on a placemat in a restaurant, and the phrase was thereby coined! You could probably make someone smile by leaving a note at the coffee shop that says, “Smile, you’re a great person!”

Until Everyone Hears,